Guild Wars 2: Shadow of the Mad King goes live today, full details here

Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet is celebrating Halloween with a new world event called Shadow of the Mad King. It’s been touted by the studio before, but more information about the event has emerged ahead of its release. Check out the details below.

PCGamesN has reported that Guild Wars 2: Shadow of the Mad King will take place between today October 22nd to October 31st, and consists of four ‘acts’. Check out the event’s official trailer here.

500 years ago, a tyrannical Krytan king was slain by his own people, those who had suffered greatly during his reign of lunacy. It is said that this king’s body was chopped into pieces, and his spirit was banished to the Underworld, but that he can return to the mortal realm for just one day a year: on Halloween.

Of course, that’s just an old folktale. Isn’t it?

It’s been 250 years since the last alleged sighting of Mad King Thorn’s spirit, and today, Halloween is safely celebrated by children (and merchants) all across Tyria.

But! Strange energies are rising under the autumn moon. Is there perhaps some truth to the old stories? Do you dare to find out what’s really going on?

The update also adds paid tournaments into the mix, 5v5 battles that have both entry fees and currency rewards for the top-ranking players.

To learn more about how Guild Wars 2 paid PvP tournaments work, check out our coverage of the update here: